Rural mail-box.



A. C. BAUMWART. RURAL MAIL BOX. APPLIUATIQN HLBD HAY 2a, 190s.

Patented Feb. 9, 1909'.

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reference characters. 4

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

ARTHUR c. BAUMWART, OECANUTE, OKLAHOMA, Ass'ienoaor ONE-HALF To FLETCHER T.

Tsinitiiwo'on, or OANUTE, OKLAHOMA.

RURAL MArL-Box Neel 1,935.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. e, ieee.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be .it known that I, ARTHUR (1. BAUM- wAnT, citizen rof the United States, residing at Canute, inthe county `of Washita, Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Rural M ail-Boxes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

Thepresent inventionV relates to improvements in mail boxes such as are employed upon rural delivery routes and the'object of the invention is the provision of a novel bracket for mounting the box in such amanner that the latter can be moved by the carrier into a redetermined position for the 1purrose of signaling to the patron that mail as een left.

The invention further contemplates a4 device of this character which is lsimple and durable in its construction and will provide a signal which can be easily kand correctly interpreted from as far as the box itself can be seen.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means for eifecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of amailbox mounted in accordance with the invention, the said box being shown in an elevated position in dotted lines and in alower position in full lines. hig. 2 is an end vview of the box. li ig. 3 is a detail view of the bracket.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the saine Referring to the drawing, the numerall 1 designates an uprightfbase orstandard having a vertically swinging bracket 2 mounted thereon, the said bracket carryinga mailbox 3 'and being adapted to be swung upwardly approximately intoV alinementY with 1 the standard 1 to hold the mail boxin an elevatedposition, or to be swung downwardly at ri ht angles to the standard, to hold the mail ox in a lowered position.

Specifically describing the bracket 2, it will be observed that the same' comprises a pair of longitudinal bars 4 and 5 having their inner ends pivotally connected to the standard 1 at the points 4tL and 5a respectively, the said pivot points being arranged diagonally with respect to the vertical axis of the standard. The outerends of the longitudinal bars 4and 5 yare connected by a cross bar 6, while a second cross bar 7 connects the intermediate portions of the longitudinal bars, the two cross bars 6 and '7 being parallel to each other and also parallel to a line connecting the pivot ypoints-421 and 5a. As this bracket 2 swings upon the standard 1, the various bars have al arallelogrammatic movement, the longitudinal bars 4 and 5 being spaced from each other when the bracket extends laterally from the standard, while they are Abrought into contact with each other, and serve to limit the upward swinging movement of the bracket, when the bracket is swung upwardly slightly beyond the vertical. The outercross bar 6 vconstitutes a support for a plate 8 upon which the mail box 3 is mounted, the said plate always assuming a horizontal position.

In the referred embodiment of the invention, assffown in the drawing, the up er end of the cross bar 6 is extended upward y at 6a and secured to the rear ortion of the plate 8, while the lower end of t e cross bar is curved forwardly and upwardly at 6b and secured to the forward portion of the plateS.

The box 3 itself may be of any conventional construction, and the rear end of the plate 8 is extended downwardly at 9 to form a stop which engages the upper longitudinal bar 4 and limits the downward swinging movement of the bracket when the .latter has been moved to a position at approximately right an les to the standard. It will also be observe that the forward portion of the plate 8 is extended downwardly to form a finger piece 10 which may be grasped to manipulate the device.

The upper longitudinal bar 4 is provided with a series of openings 11, and threaded within any selected one of these openings is the shank of a lateral arm 12 which is formed with an eye loosely receiving a bolt 13. This bolt is connected to one end of a spring 14, the opposite 'end of the spring being connected to the eye at the extremity of the lateral -arm 15, the shank of which is threaded into any selected one of` a series of openings 16 in the lower longitudinal bar 5 or the outer cross bar 6. Thetension in this spring 14 may be roughly Vadjusted by positioning the lateral arms 12 and 15 in the various openings, and may be afterwards accurately adjusted as required by manipulatingthe nut 13 upon the bolt 13. It will be observed that the spring 14 is disposed diagonally with respect to the various bars of the bracket, and that when the bracket is swung downwardly at right angles to the standard, the spring is stretched longitudinally and tension produced therein. At the same time, however, the etl'ective leverage of the spring is reduced to such an extent that the tendency of the said spring to swing the bracket upwardly, is counteracted by the combined weight or" the mail bex and bracket. As soon, however, as the bracket is given an initial upward movement, as by grasping the iinger piece 10 and shoving the box upwardly, the ell'ective leverage olf the spring is increased, and the spring then operates to swing the bracket upwardly, until it has been moved slightly beyond the vertical, and the two longitudinal bars 4 and 5 come into contact with each other.

Attention is directed to the fact that with the construction provided, the tension in the s ring may be accurately adjusted so that tlie bracket will work etiectively in connection with either a light or a heavy mail box, as may be desired.

W hen the bracket 2 is lowered into a hori- Zontal position, ready access may be had to the box 3 for inserting mail therein or removing mail therefrom. Should the carrier place any mail in the box, he swings the bracket upwardly, so that the mail box is held in an elevated position above the standard, and thereby signals the desired information to the patron. On the other hand, however, should no mail be deposited in the box, the carrier leaves the box in a lowered position with the bracket at right angles to the standard, and the patron thereby understands that no mail has been left, and is not comelled to make an unnecessary trip to the box. The usual flag 17 is pivoted to one side of the mail box 3, and is swung upwarcly for the purpose of signaling to the carrier that mail has been leit for collection, the flag being at other times swung downwardly against one side of the box, in which position it is invisible. lt v. ill thus be obvious that separate and distinct signals are provided for the carrier and the patron, and that the signal to the latter is oi such a nature as to be easily observed and correctly interpreted from a eomparatirely great distance. y

Having thus described the invention, what l claim is:

l. The combination ci a standard, a swingirg bracket mounted upon the standard, a box on the bracket, and a spring normally tending to move the bracket in one direction and having a leverage which decreases as the bracket is moved in the opposite direction, the weight ol the box counteracting the action oiC the spring when the bracket is moved to its limit in the opposite direction.

2. The combination of a standard, a swinging bracket mounted upon the standard, a box on the bracket, a spring normally tending` to move the bracket in one direction and having a leverage which decreases as the bracket is moved in the opposite directimi, the weight el the box counteracting the action of the spring when the bracket is moved to its limit in the opposite direction, and means for adjusting the tension of the spring.

3. The combination o'l' a standard, a swinging bracket mounted upon the standard and comprising longitutiinal bars and transverse bars which are loosely connected to have a parallelogrannnatie movement, a plate carried by one oi" the cross bars, a box upon the plate, and a stop carried by the plate for engaging one of the longitudinal bars to limit the swinging movement el the bracket.

4. The combination of a standard, a ver tically swinging bracket mounted upon the standard and comprising longitudinal bars and transverse bars which are loosely connected to have a parallelogrammatic movement, a box carried by the bracket, and a spring cooperating with the bars of the bracket to move the same in one direction, the leverage of the spring decreasing as the bracket is moved in the opposite direction and the weight of the box completely counteracting the action o'lt the spring when the bracket is moved to its limit in the opposite direction.

5. The combination of a standard, a swinging bracket mounted upon the standard and composed oi" bars which are loosely connected to have a parallelogrammatic movement, a box carried by the bracket, lateral arms adjustably mounted upon the bracket and projecting from diagonally opposite portions thereoi, and a spring connecting the lateral arms and tending to swing the bracket in one direction, the leverage o'li the spring gradually decreasing as the bracket is moved in the opposite direction and the weight o'lt the box coniplctely counteractirg the action o'l the spring when the bracket is moved to its limit in the opposite direction.

ln testimony whereof aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR c. murmurer. ljt, s]

Tiifitnesses:

FRANK Cnnnvnxxx, JOHN W. LARNER. 

